Chapter 65: The Theory Of Bento Evolution
|volume = Volume 8 |kana = 弁当進化論 |romaji = Bentō shinka-ron |arc = Tōtsuki Autumn Election Arc |ep = 25 |chapprev = On The Edge |chapnext = What Fills That Box }} The Theory Of Bento Evolution is the 65th chapter of Shokugeki no Soma. This chapter focuses on Sōma's presentation of his dish for his battle against Alice. Plot Summary After an excellent presentation by Alice, Sōma presented his dish to the Judges. Senzaemon asked him what his dish was, which he answered, a nori bento. The audience, including Sōma's supporters, could not believe his simplistic dish choice. Alice did not know what a nori bento and she asked him what it was. Surprised that Alice had no clue about it, he told her that he'd tell her later. However, he told her that it was an Evolved Nori Bento. Sōma presented 5 layered bento boxes to the judges. The judges were amused by Sōma's bento box choice because of its innovative qualities. Alice was amazed by the advancement of bento box technology, however, she remained confident that she would not lose. The judges opened the first three boxes which contained the side dishes. The first contained an Isobeage, which earned praise for its lightness and fluffiness and splendid fried texture. It also contained a kinpira gobo, which they noticed had a special texture due to the usage of balsamic vinegar and mayonnaise. As the judges praised Sōma for the dedication he put into the smaller details of his dish, the audience was stunned by the praise his simplistic dish was receiving. The next box contained a fried cod, which was soft enough to cut with chopsticks. As one of the judges ate the dish, though he expected a bitter taste, he was overwhelmed by a clear, mild taste. Senzaemon identified the source of this taste as dried tuna in the dashi instead of dried bonito. Sōma explained that the dashi was made from boiling the cod with dried tuna and rishiri konbu. This combination caused a strong affinity for each other. Finishing it off with beer to fry the fish, Sōma created a light meal. The following dish was a Bacon and Onion Miso Soup. The Miso also contained the tuna dashi which complimented the bacon and onions Sōma finished of this portion by saying that the soup can be made by adding the ingredients before hand then letting the soup blend as the bento remained unopened for a few hours. However, since the bento was to be eaten immediately, he cooked the dish entirely beforehand. Alice was impressed by Sōma's highly specialized bento knowledge, however she told him that it was still to plain compared to her Temari Bento. Sōma admitted that her dish was very visually appealing and asked her to try a sample later. However, he asked her if her bento was really amazing as a "bento." Alice did not take the statement well, but Sōma asked her if she ever considered what is supposed to be put inside the bentos. Sōma had flashback to his youth, recalling a kindly old lady named Kiyo. Kiyo was a Sumiredōri Shopping District resident and a regular Restaurant Yukihira patron. Sōma and Kiyo had a close bond and he treated her as if she was his grandmother, even calling her Grandma. However, eventually Kiyo's age caused her hips to hurt, confining her to her house. Sōma took time to make a personal bento for her and walked all the way to her house during his free time to deliver it to her. Kiyo was touched by Sōma's kindness as she ate her bento. She noticed in the letter he included that Sōma told her to remove the Nori sheet before eating the rice. As she lifted the nori sheet, Kiyo saw a cutely drawn picture made of furikake of Sōma and Kiyo. As she shed tears of happiness, Kiyo thanked Sōma for the love he put into the bento. The judges finally decided to open the final box of their bentos, the one containing the Nori Bento itself. Though the judges were expecting something a little conventional, the final product stunned the judges. Sōma told Alice that she should taste some of it too as he plans on showing her what lies beyond the the stereotype expectations of a nori dish. Characters in Order of Appearance Featured Dishes *Sōma Yukihira's Evolved Nori Bento *Sōma Yukihira's Nori Bento (Prototype) Featured Cooking Duels *Sōma Yukihira Vs. Alice Nakiri Navigation Category:Manga Category:Chapter Category:Tōtsuki Autumn Election Arc Category:Volume 8